Jenny Blake
363: 🌈 Taking a Quiet Sabbatical and ...

As I round the corner into this ninth year of podcasting, after over 700 episodes today, I’m announcing a pause for both shows.

Listen in to hear what factors helped me reach this decision across time, money, energy, depressing industry articles, the pace of both shows’ growth, and mix of additional business factors that make this an important moment to pause and regroup. You might also appreciate the even deeper dive with my longtime friend (and first coach) Adrian Klaphaak in Pivot episode 360: 📦 Unpacking a Big Business Decision and Dissolving Related Doubts.

Jenny Blake
362: Setting Creative Intentions Instead of ...

“Expectations are the enemy to the creative process. Sometimes you have to let go of the known to see the unknown.”

Today I’m speaking with James McCrae, an author, poet, and meme artist based in Austin, Texas. He is the founder of 🌻 Sunflower Club, a global school and community dedicated to conscious creativity.

Jenny Blake
361: On Decision Engineering and Evaluating ...

Good decision-making is not about omniscience or clairvoyance—it's more about resilience, according to today’s guest, decision engineer Michelle Florendo. “Decision-making is harder than ever before, and it's not your fault,” Michelle says. “People feel like they ‘should just know’ how to decide.”

Today we’re talking about a framework more helpful than pro-con lists, tuning into your head, heart and gut; why the quality of your decision is not equal to the outcome—did good or bad things happen; keeping a decision journal to evaluate the quality of your decisions regardless of the outcome; and how to drop the guilt of “bad” past outcomes.

Jenny Blake
360: 📦 Unpacking a Big Business Decision ...

What happens when you make a big decision but still have lingering doubt, fear, and even despair? How do you know when a “download” from the universe is worth following, and what does test-driving a decision look like? What happens on the other side or when a pivot is taking far longer than planned?

We’re unpacking all these topics in today’s twelfth and final (for now) conversation for the Pivot x Career Pathfinder series with Adrian Klaphaak.

Jenny Blake
359: “You can’t give what you don’t have” — ...

“You can’t give what you don’t have.” That’s just one of the powerful lessons that Nataly Kogan learned the hard way seven years ago, after suffering a debilitating phase of burnout. As a former refugee from the former Soviet Union, she began her American journey in the projects and on welfare, then going on to build an impressive career as a finance and tech executive and serial entrepreneur over the next 25 years. Until she crashed at thirty-eight years old and needed to find a new way of moving forward.

As part of her healing process, Nataly began to paint when she was 40 by signing up for a painting retreat in Tuscony (that turned out to be for semi-professional watercolorists), and now her paintings are on the cover of her books—front and center as part of her bold self-expression.

Pivot Podcast

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228: How I Run My Business Without Social Media

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228: How I Run My Business Without Social Media

If social media drains you, yet continues to dangle itself as a “sexy should,” this episode is for you. I share my own process—mindset shifts and business focuses—that allow me to keep moving, even without platform-building or posting on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tik Tok.

From a business perspective, social media is a means to two primary ends: social connections and media (consuming and contributing). I share how I work toward both of those in ways that energize me, even without directing my attention toward the platforms above.

This episode ties in to topics covered in 142: Creative Economy Lessons from “The Great Race to Rule Streaming TV” and episode 219: Swimming Upstream—A tale of two platforms.

Subscribe to my weekly(ish) curated PivotList newsletter at http://pivotmethod.com/pivotlist »
I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey
Submit a question or comment for future episodes at http://pivotmethod.com/ask

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/228

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227: "Super Extrovert" Pivot Strategies with Photographer Phillip Van Nostrand

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227: "Super Extrovert" Pivot Strategies with Photographer Phillip Van Nostrand

When Michael and I were throwing together our very agile wedding at City Hall in New York City back in November 2018, with just a few weeks notice I asked two friends for a photographer recommendation. Both separately replied with the same person, today’s guest, which was all the serendipity I needed to say yes!

That photographer is Phillip Van Nostrand, an instant friend and exactly the kind of guy you’d want on board for big events. When Phil told me how he was networking during the pandemic, and earning more revenue than ever despite so many events cancelled, I knew I needed to have him on the show. A self-described super extrovert, he’s provides a much-needed balance to my introverted curmudgeon :)

We’ll also dive into his recent Medium article, How to Live an Epic Freelance Life (in the time of Covid-19), where he describes what he’s been up to for the past five weeks to help my (photo) business and how he put over $15,000 into his bank account during this time.

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/227

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226: Wired for Disruption—5 Agility Shifts with Henna Inam

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226: Wired for Disruption—5 Agility Shifts with Henna Inam

Henna Inam is on a mission to impact one million people by 2030, partly by helping us “Marie Kondo our mindset.” In this episode, you’ll learn about the five shifts in agility we can all make and the antidote to burnout, starting with our built-in neuro-emotional capability for resilience and collaboration.

She is the CEO of Transformational Leadership Inc., a company that helps Fortune 500 organizations grow transformational leaders. A former C-suite executive, Henna drove transformation throughout her corporate career before pivoting toward coaching. She is the author of Wired for Authenticity, and a new forthcoming book, Wired for Disruption: Five Shifts in Agility to Lead in the Future of Work (available June 1).

Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/226

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🦠225: Pandemic Bubbles, Talent Trends, Self-Education, and Luck with Dr. MJC (Part 2)

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🦠225: Pandemic Bubbles, Talent Trends, Self-Education, and Luck with Dr. MJC (Part 2)

Dr. MJC is back for part two of our most recent installment in the Pivoting Around a Pandemic series (listen to episode 224 first). In this session we riff on not quite feeling ready to leave our pandemic bubbles, the meta skill of self-education, and conscious luck (Gay Hendricks’ new book).

What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask

Check out show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/225

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🦠224: Riffing on Rogan, Education, and Superskills with Dr. MJC (Part 1)

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🦠224: Riffing on Rogan, Education, and Superskills with Dr. MJC (Part 1)

Dr. MJC is back for the first time since episode 203, when we talked about re-opening three weeks ago. Today we riff on a range of timely topics: Joe Rogan’s exclusive Spotify deal and how it mirrors larger pandemic and content-creation trends, “blue” versus “red” ocean when it comes to competition, and the important meta skill of self-education.

And for curious minds! Our new word of the episode: ar·ma·men·tar·i·um (är′mə-mĕn-târ′ē-əm)

  1. The complete equipment of a physician or medical institution, including books, supplies, and instruments.

  2. The complete range of materials available or used for a task.

What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions for a future conversation at http://pivotmethod.com/ask

Check out show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/224

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223: Stepping up Systems—How I Shifted to Daily Podcasting

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223: Stepping up Systems—How I Shifted to Daily Podcasting

Today I’m peeling the curtain back on the shifts I’ve made to move from weekly to daily podcast publishing during the pandemic across five key areas: mindset, motivation, systems, skills, and software.

Interested in learning more? Join me LIVE for a much-requested update on my (He)art of Podcasting course!

I’m facilitating a 3-hour masterclass on June 25 where you can ask me anything, get my best templates for visioning, interview prep, and post-production, and request walkthroughs of the most confusing aspects of podcasting and systems. Learn more at http://pivotmethod.com/heart »

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/223 and the full Pivot podcast archive at http://pivotmethod.com/podcastarchive »

I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey

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222: Pronoia and Why I Love the Placebo Effect

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222: Pronoia and Why I Love the Placebo Effect

Can the universe possibly be always working “for” you and not just happening to you? How can that be if bad things that happen to good people?

In this episode I respond to a listener question with my take on helpful ways to apply the placebo effect and pronoia, the belief that “the world around you conspires to do you good.” I talk about noticing what you’re noticing, and how to discern fears versus wants through your inner magnet (aka intuition).

As Eckhart Tolle writes in A New Earth, “Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment.”

If you are a recent grad looking for a portable coach to help you hold your highest vision even while navigating the nuts-and-bolts of adulting during these challenging times, check out my first book Life After College (first launched 2011, revised edition launched 2018). Compliment it with Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, and you’ll be well-equipped to navigate change now and in the future.

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/222

I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey

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221: Be Willing to Be the Exception (For 2020 Grads)

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221: Be Willing to Be the Exception (For 2020 Grads)

Don’t bench yourself before the game begins. Be willing to be the exception. What problems can you solve during this unique time? What skills can you teach yourself? For any disempowering article or statistic, what if the opposite were true?

Systemic inequality, student debt, lack of social support — these are massively broken systems in America. But that doesn’t mean you need to hang your head in defeat from now until forever.

This episode is a message to 2020 grads (and anyone else who needs to hear it): do not let headlines like the one below hang over your head like dark, depressing rain clouds for the rest of your career, no matter how tough the job market might be right now. Shake it off, and be willing to be the exception (even if statistically speaking, we can’t all be).

Just this week The New York Times published on the front page, Facing Adulthood With an Economic Disaster’s Lasting Scars: “Those entering the job market in a downturn may never catch up in pay, opportunities or confidence.” It continues, “The question is what kind of scars this will leave in the hearts, minds and pockets of younger people.”

See this scar as a good thing: how is it uniquely shaping your heart, mind, and pocket? What lessons are you learning that will serve you for the rest of your career?

If you are a recent grad looking for a portable coach to help you hold your highest vision even while navigating the nuts-and-bolts of adulting during these challenging times, check out my first book Life After College (first launched 2011, revised edition launched 2018). Compliment it with Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, and you’ll be well-equipped to navigate change now and in the future.

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/221

I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey

220: Protect Your Flame with Michael Karsouny + Adventure Meditation!

220: Protect Your Flame with Michael Karsouny + Adventure Meditation!

Welcome to Part 3 of Wandering with Michael (Part 2 here) — we talk about my favorite band, how to protect your flame, the importance of not planning or problem-solving too much around one’s creative process . . . and then! Around minute 22, Michael jumps into facilitating (his first!) spontaneous guided meditation with more passion than most :)

More background: Feeling stuck and bored for the first time in a loooong time last Saturday, Michael and I decided the only thing that would alleviate our Groundhog’s Day discomfort on yet another freezing New York City weekend would be to hop on the podcast mic with no direction in mind (his idea not mine!). This is the third of several such sessions we recorded that day :)

Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/220
Leave us a message at http://pivotmethod.com/ask

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219: Swimming Upstream—A Tale of Two Platform Pivots

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219: Swimming Upstream—A Tale of Two Platform Pivots

“Everything is the pandemic’s fault,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-founder of nascent streaming platform Quibi last week. Is it? I share my thoughts in this week’s riff on how streaming companies are responding and piloting during this time.

Building on episode 142: Creative Economy Lessons from “The Great Race to Rule Streaming TV”, I share a tale of two platforms — and encourage you to examine where you might still be stuck in unhelpful thinking.

I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/213

218: We've Gone Over-Bored (Part 2) with Michael Karsouny (Listen at Your Own Risk!)

218: We've Gone Over-Bored (Part 2) with Michael Karsouny (Listen at Your Own Risk!)

I’m releasing exactly the kind of episode I can’t usually stand . . . but maybe that’s a good thing? Michael even said in all seriousness, “I don’t think you should release this one on the main channel.”

We cover everything and nothing, and digressions in-between. Welcome to Part 2 of Wandering with Michael. Our alternative title for this one is, “Infinitely Boring” — so listen at your own risk! The background:

Feeling stuck and bored for the first time in a loooong time last Saturday, Michael and I decided the only thing that would alleviate our Groundhog’s Day discomfort on yet another freezing New York City weekend would be to hop on the podcast mic with no direction in mind (his idea not mine!). This is the first of several such sessions we recorded that day :)

This is decidedly not an episode with a clear agenda, takeaways, or template! In fact, you’ll probably wonder how we even manage to get along given our completely different approaches to life. Opposites attract as they say ;-)

Our biggest hope is that we provide just a little entertainment and reprieve on any future day you might find yourself bored too . . .

Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/218

217: We're Bored—Wandering with Michael Karsouny (Listen at Your Own Risk!)

217: We're Bored—Wandering with Michael Karsouny (Listen at Your Own Risk!)

Life on lockdown means a perfect opportunity to capture spontaneous thoughts from a very special guest . . . and no, it’s not Ryder :)

Feeling stuck and bored for the first time in a loooong time last Saturday, Michael and I decided the only thing that would alleviate our Groundhog’s Day discomfort on yet another freezing New York City weekend would be to hop on the podcast mic with no direction in mind (his idea not mine!). This is the first of several such sessions we recorded that day :)

Listen at your own risk, as this is decidedly not an episode with a clear agenda, takeaways, or template! In fact, you’ll probably wonder how we even manage to get along given our completely different approaches to life. Opposites attract as they say ;-)

Our biggest hope is that we provide just a little entertainment and reprieve on any future day you might find yourself bored too . . .

Get show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/217

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216: Pivoting Stand-up (NY) with Dani Zoldan

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216: Pivoting Stand-up (NY) with Dani Zoldan

Dani Zoldan is a lifelong entrepreneur. In 2008, he purchased Stand Up NY, the famous comedy club on the Upper West Side of Manhattan that made its name in the 80’s and 90’s with many of the world’s best comics including Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Louis CK and Jon Stewart.

Today, (at least pre-pandemic when we could still gather in person!) the club has been home to many current A-listers including Amy Schumer, Michael Che, Pete Davidson and Judah Friedlander.

I met Dani through James Altucher, who bought into club ownership in 2016, and was honored to participate in their inaugural Podcast Row. When I saw Dani quoted in the New York Times March 18: Open Your Laptops, the Comedy Show Is About to Begin, as businesses started shutting down, I knew he’d have an interesting Pivot perspective to share!

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/216

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215: Stay Relevant, Sense What's Next, and Solve Difficult Problems with Stephen Shapiro

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215: Stay Relevant, Sense What's Next, and Solve Difficult Problems with Stephen Shapiro

Why are so many of us allergic to the word innovation, solving the wrong problems, and experiencing idea-fatigue? Because, as Stephen Shapiro brilliantly shares in his new book, Invisible Solutions: 25 Lenses that Reframe and Help Solve Difficult Business Problems, what we’re really aiming for is relevance.

How can you apply the 5D’s of disruption to solve difficult problems? We dive into that and so much more during this conversation—one I can’t wait to listen back to at least twice more to absorb all the powerful pivot-related concepts! I’ll tell you one thing: you’ll never brainstorm the same way again . . .

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/215

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214: Nerding Out w/Mitch Joel—On Ideas, Systems, Credibility, and Connections

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214: Nerding Out w/Mitch Joel—On Ideas, Systems, Credibility, and Connections

Seth Godin recently described Mitch Joel (in celebration of his 700th episode) as “in the pantheon, one of the greats.” I couldn’t agree more.

Mitch is a well-respected friend and colleague to so many of us in the business, writing, and speaking communities. He sees trends and platforms coming long before they hit mainstream, and his output, ideas, and incisive interviewing style consistently leaves me with inspiration and new information.

He was gracious to have me on his Six Pixels of Separation Podcast when Pivot launched, and the conversation (among dozens and dozens) left such a mark on me that I quoted him in the afterword for the paperback edition of Pivot in 2017 the following year. Here’s an excerpt:

"My guiding principle now is faith in flow, a reminder that helps me trust the natural cycles of tension and release, hustle and flow, grit and grace. I listen for what’s next, but try not to rush the answer.

If the Plant stage involves putting a pin in one’s desired destination a year from now, entering my post-pivot rest mode was like hitting the “current location” button in a maps app—it spun me back and helped me zoom in on where I was right now, not someplace off in the future where I should be.

In the words of my friend and fellow author Mitch Joel, instead of only focusing on what’s next, we’d do well to reflect on the equally important question: what’s now?"

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/214

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213: Flex Your Flywheel (for Solopreneurs)

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213: Flex Your Flywheel (for Solopreneurs)

Building on the previous episode that covered virtuous circles (or cycles), this is an excerpt from my Pivot to Profit course where I go deeper into Jim Collins’ Hedgehog and Flywheel concepts. This will help you think more strategically about the highest impact activities in business and career that create self-perpetuating, unstoppable momentum.

Join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum

I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey

Help us tip Pivot over the 200 reviews on Amazon milestone! At the time of recording, we are just TWO reviews short!! Visit http://bit.ly/Pivotpaperback

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/213

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212: Virtuous Circles in Pivot Portfolio Planning

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212: Virtuous Circles in Pivot Portfolio Planning

How can virtuous circles (or cycles) help us think more strategically about the highest impact activities in business and career that create self-perpetuating momentum? That’s the topic of this episode; how we can transform even “time for money” or marketing activities into something more.

I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! Take the Pivot listener survey at http://pivotmethod.com/survey

Help us tip Pivot over the 200 reviews on Amazon milestone! At the time of recording, we are just TWO reviews short!! Visit http://bit.ly/Pivotpaperback

Join us in Momentum at http://pivotmethod.com/momentum

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/212

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🦠 211: Financial Planning Through a Pandemic With Kathryn Brown

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🦠 211: Financial Planning Through a Pandemic With Kathryn Brown

"If you truly are diversified, that means something is underperforming (in the short-term).”

Today’s Pivot conversation is with wealth manager Kathryn Brown, whose mission is changing families’ traditional relationship with money to foster a healthy relationship between money and life for the families she serves.

What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://www.pivotmethod.com/ask

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://www.pivotmethod.com/211

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210: Why Bother? With Jennifer Louden

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210: Why Bother? With Jennifer Louden

Jennifer Louden is a personal growth pioneer who helped launch the concept of self-care with her first bestseller, The Woman’s Comfort Book.

Since then, she’s written seven additional books on well-being and whole living, including The Woman’ s Retreat Book and The Life Organizer, with close to a million copies of her books in print in nine languages. She’s been profiled or quoted in two of Brené Brown’s books, Daring Greatly and Dare to Lead; and even appeared on Oprah.

Jen and I met way back in the day at SXSW 2012 — my first time attending, and have kept in touch from afar ever since. Today we’re talking about her newest and most personal book, Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next.

What’s on your mind? Submit follow-up questions at http://pivotmethod.com/ask

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/210